The Money
Time Machine

With positive returns, growth can itself earn more growth. Starting earlier gives payments more time invested, but more time does not guarantee a profit. A delayed start also means fewer payments in this example.

Your payments build the balance even when growth is zero. Increasing them each year means committing more money in future; consider whether those increases would be affordable.

Inflation reduces what a fixed amount of money can buy. Today's-money balances divide each future balance by (1 + annual inflation) raised to the number of years. This is an assumed average, not your personal cost of living.

Charges leave less invested and reduce later growth. Enter a return before fees here. If your return already includes charges, set the fee to 0% to avoid counting them twice.

Real returns vary year to year and losses are possible even over long periods. Changing the return is a sensitivity check, not a best- or worst-case forecast. Cash savings and investments have different risks; this tool does not recommend a product.

Monthly payments arrive at month-end. The effective annual growth factor after fees is (1 + return) × (1 − fee), converted to a monthly factor by taking its twelfth root. Fees apply monthly before that month's payment. Growth is the balance less the starting balance and all new payments.

To show contributions in today's money, each payment is discounted from its own payment date. Real growth / loss is today's-money balance less those discounted payments and the starting balance. This can be negative even when the future-pound balance has grown.

No withdrawals, tax, tax relief, trading charges or fixed account fees are included. The tool covers up to 40 years from today and age 100. Figures are rounded to whole pounds for display; calculations retain precision. This is financial education, not personal advice.